Smart Energy GB

Stepping Out Of Character

Smart Energy GB sought a fun out-of-the-office activity for its relatively young company, with teams of people coming from across the country, as far and wide as the City, Edinburgh and Cardiff. The main objective was to increase company-wide interactivity and remove hierarchical boundaries for the day.

The Brief

Smart Energy GB looked to us for their company away day, seeking a creative learning experience in the City, with express the opportunity for individuals to hone a new craft.

They also requested a particular and underlying focus on the integration of new starters and getting to know one another regardless of workplace hierarchy.

Challenge Accepted

When I was a kid, there was no collaboration; it's you with a camera bossing your friends around. But as an adult, filmmaking is all about appreciating the talents of the people you surround yourself with and knowing you could never have made any of these films by yourself - Steven Spielberg

Creating a film requires planning, creativity and collaboration, so it was the perfect solution for what Smart Energy GB were after.

We presented this solution to the company early on in the process and to our delight, they agreed and began to prepare three weeks before the scheduled event. By the time we were all in one room and actually met, many of the 70 participating employees had characters and stories in mind, and props and costumes to hand - ready to hit the ground running.

So we split them into nine teams and each was named after a famous cinematographer - from Spielberg to Hitchcock. Every team was challenged to create a film trailer or shot film from scratch in one day, with both the stalwarts of the company and fresh recruits coming together to conceive, storyboard, plan, cast and shoot their creation.

Under the guidance of a professional filmmaker, most became immersed in learning how to use equipment, while others decided they wanted to perform on the silver screen, so we had a pro tutor come down and give them a crash course in acting.

Each participant took on a new role that was vastly different from what they did day to day - from protagonist to camera person to director. With a strict deadline, they made quick decisions under pressure whilst keeping in mind the shared vision, supporting each other. They came away with insight into different perspectives and a sense of being valued and seen after collaborating with people they wouldn’t necessarily get to partner up with at work.

What They Thought

It’s always a challenge to come up with new, interesting and challenging concepts for our energetic and creative team. This year we turned to City Academy for help and we ended up with an amazing and memorable day that everyone in our diverse workforce could enjoy. We had a full house at the screening of the films a few weeks later and people are still talking about them a few months later.

- Mikael Nilsson, HR Manager, Smart Energy GB

Find Out More & Request A Quote

For more information and a free consultation, please call us on +44 (0)20 7042 8833 or email business@city-academy.com